The present invention relates to a textile machine transport apparatus for transporting tube support members of the type on which yarn packages are individually supported and, more particularly, to a textile machine transport apparatus which advances tube support members in an advancing direction by movement of a reversibly drivable advancing means and which selectively limits the rearward or non-advancing movement of the tube support members during reverse driving movement of the advancing means.
Textile machine transport apparatus are known for transporting tube support members in a controlled manner to and from locations at which yarn packages supported on the tube support members are handled such as, for example, the winding stations of a textile winding machine. Since each tube support member individually supports a yarn package thereon, controlled transport of each tube support member allows for individualized handling of each yarn package. For example, in a transport apparatus for transporting tube support members to and from the winding stations of the textile winding machine, it is desirable in some circumstances to separately handle those yarn packages having a yarn end which has been disposed in a preferred preliminary position for subsequent engagement at a winding station from other yarn packages which do not have such a successfully prepared yarn end. Those other yarn packages whose yarn ends are not yet disposed in a preferred preliminary position may be transported to a special handling location such as, for example, a device which mechanically works a portion of the yarn package, to facilitate loosening and preparation of the yarn end into a preferred preliminary position. Toward this end of individualized transport options for tube support members, U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,725 to Wirtz et al discloses a yarn package handling assembly with the capability to separate those yarn packages still not having a successfully prepared yarn end from other yarn packages having successfully prepared yarn ends. This capacity is provided by a system of sensors and gates operatively connected to the sensors with the gates being selectively movable into the path of transported tube support members to route such tube support members to a different transport route than other tube support members. However, the need still exists for improvements in textile machine transport apparatus having the capacity to transport tube support members in an individualized manner without significantly sacrificing efficient and accurate transport of such tube support members.